Operation Spring Shield (Turkish: Bahar Kalkanı Harekâtı) was an invasion of Syria by Turkey, which was in the Idlib region of northwest Syria,[1] and which started on 27 February 2020 in response to the Balyun airstrikes.[2][3] Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the goal of the operation was inside of the rules of the Astana talks, to ensure a ceasefire in the Second Northern Syria Buffer Zone and to prevent migration from Idlib towards the Turkish border. On 5 March, Turkey and Russia signed a ceasefire agreement in Moscow.[4]